Philadelphia Eagles to Power Stadium with On-Site Renewable Energy

The Philadelphia Eagles has plans to power Lincoln Financial Field with a combination of on-site wind, solar and dual-fuel generated electricity, which would make it the world’s first major sports stadium to convert to 100-percent on-site renewable energy.

SolarBlue, a renewable energy and energy conservation company, will install approximately 80 20-foot spiral-shaped wind turbines on the top rim of the stadium and 2,500 solar panels on the stadium’s façade. The company also will build a 7.6-megawatt on-site dual-fuel cogeneration plant and install monitoring and switching technology to operate the system.

Over the next year, SolarBlue will invest more than $30 million to build out the system. The project is expected to be complete in September 2011.

SolarBlue will maintain and operate the stadium’s power system for the next 20 years at a fixed percent annual price increase in electricity, saving the Eagles an estimated $60 million in energy costs.

The Eagles and SolarBlue estimate that over the 20 years, the on-site energy sources at the stadium will provide 1.039 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, which is more than enough to supply the stadium’s power needs. As a result, an estimated four megawatts of excess energy off-peak will be sold back to the local electric grid.

“The Philadelphia Eagles are proud to take this vital step towards energy independence from fossil fuels by powering Lincoln Financial Field with wind, solar and dual-fuel energy sources,” said team owner and chief executive officer, Jeffrey Lurie, in a statement.

3 thoughts on “Philadelphia Eagles to Power Stadium with On-Site Renewable Energy”

All sports industries should focus on being Eco-friendly. There is another industry that is not mentioned here is the race car industry. Solar companies have recently installed fairly large units for Nascar. This is a new wave and a great beginning for sports industry to tout they are going green and saving the environment.

This is truly a significant initiative. Please note that the cogeneration plant will contribuite 70% of energy and can burn biodiesel or natural gas, so it is yet to be seen whether it is 100% renewable. The highly visible wind turbines change the profile of the stadium and make a great statement!